Mahabharata · 7.51.7–8
॥
Devanāgarī
स तवास्त्रोपदेशेन वीर्येण च समन्वितः ॥
प्राविशत् तद् बलं बालः सुपर्ण इव सागरम् ॥
ते ऽनुयाता वयं वीरं सात्वतीपुत्रम् आहवे ॥
प्रवेष्टुकामास् तेनैव येन स प्राविशच् चमूम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
sa tavāstropadeśena vīryeṇa ca samanvitaḥ ||
prāviśat tad balaṃ bālaḥ suparṇa iva sāgaram ||
te 'nuyātā vayaṃ vīraṃ sātvatīputram āhave ||
praveṣṭukāmās tenaiva yena sa prāviśac camūm ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सः तव अस्त्रोपदेशेनsaḥ tava astropadeśenahe, by your teaching in weapons; he, by your instruction in arms
वीर्येण च समन्वितःvīryeṇa ca samanvitaḥand endowed with valor; and moved by valor
प्राविशत् तत् बलम्prāviśat tat balamentered that army; entered that host
बालःbālaḥa boy [child]; a child
सुपर्णः इव सागरम्suparṇaḥ iva sāgaramlike Garuda [Suparna] into the ocean; like Garuda into the ocean
ते अनुयाताः वयम् वीरम्te anuyātāḥ vayam vīramwe, following the hero; we, going after the warrior
सात्वतीपुत्रम् आहवेsātvatīputram āhavethe son of Sātvatī [Subhadra], in battle; the son of Sātvatī, in the fight
प्रवेष्टुकामाःpraveṣṭukāmāḥwishing to enter [after him]; eager to enter
तेन एवtena evaby that same [path]; by that same [breach]
येन सः प्राविशत् चमूम्yena saḥ prāviśat camūmby which he had entered the array; by which he had entered the host
Translation
"He, endowed with your teaching in weapons and with his own valor, entered that army — a mere child! — as Garuda enters the ocean. And we followed the hero, the son of Sātvatī, into battle, wishing to enter by the same breach through which he had entered the array."
Version
b6d4e1c54e14 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:36:52 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
"Suparṇaḥ iva sāgaram", "like Garuda into the ocean" — the boy entered the vast host swiftly and fearlessly, as the king of birds into the depths of the waters. But behind "bālaḥ", "a child", in that very line lies the whole tragedy: it was a child who entered. His companions "praveṣṭukāmāḥ", "wished to enter after him" — the intent was sound, the calamity came from without. It is telling that the father's teaching ("tava astropadeśena") and natural valor joined together in the boy's fearlessness. The verse teaches that courage and training can work wonders of breakthrough, but they do not replace the one thing needful — that those behind should manage to follow through the breach — and in that gap lay hidden his death.